Warning: Unbeta'd

"I started a music club, and can you join, please?"

Wait, what? Did the awesome him just hear right? His birdie started a music club, well that part was all good. It was something Roddy was naturally bound to do, sooner or later, he was Roderich, the star musician, after all. But, no, that last bit…

"…can you join, please?"

It made no sense.

"Hey, Roddy, can you repeat that?" Gil asked. It was likely that Roderich didn't intend to say those words, maybe it was Gil who heard him wrong. Or maybe, Roderich, unreasonably and absurdly, wanted, despite the odds, Gilbert in his music club.

R-repeat that?! That embarrassing moment of having to ask Gilbert to do something for him? Damn that Prussian! Why couldn't he pay attention in the first place? Was that too much to ask of his self-proclaim 'Awesomeness'? No, that wasn't it! They were in such – uncomfortable – close proximity to each other and the way the older teen was staring focused at him before he said those words, therefore deeming the mishearing unlikely! Of course, all that bastard wanted all along was to tease him as he got flustered and embarrassed. He didn't care for what the Austrian was about to say, he just wanted to watch him say it, wanted to savour every moment as that bright blush adorned Roderich's cheeks.

What a… Pervert.

And was not like Roderich to let the Prussian get what he wanted that easily. With a straight face and a somewhat rigid composure, Roderich said, with an irritated tone of voice, "I said, I have started a music club and I would like you to join."

Nope, Roddy really said that. Gilbert slowly blinked his eyes in surprise, still in the same daze as before. He soon snapped out of it and noticing the Austrian's irritated demeanour, he hastily replied, "Ah, sorry. For a second there I thought you were going to confess or something."

Gott, he actually said that! Gil, you idiot! The albino teen almost didn't want to meet the other's violet eyes, but, like any other time, he's sure got the better of him…

"A-and w-why would I d-do that? I-I'm a man!" Roderich stuttered back a weak response. What was that? The blush had already rouged the Austrian's cheeks and there was no way of getting rid of, in fact, he was sure that each time he tried, it only grew, larger and redder, past his cheeks and all over his face. Damn that perverted Prussian! He did not have to say that! He absolutely did not! The brunet lowered his head and tucked his chin between his neck and collarbone, violet eyes staring intently at the ground below.

Of course, when the Prussian saw his Austrian's flustered state, it send him over the top and, much to his own displeasure, made him blush, too. But Roderich didn't to see that or know of it. But Gilbert felt those breathtakingly stunning eyes about to glance at him any moment now (he didn't know why; it was a just a gut feeling).

"Y-you'll be surprised, Roddy. Many men, as well as cute fraus, have confessed to me in the past," the Prussian blurted out on the spot. Gil was pretty desperate, and it wasn't a complete lie, okay maybe he was exaggerating when he said 'many', but he was pretty sure his little brother, Ludwig, was about to and there was…euh, R-russia... B-besides, who wouldn't want to date The Awesome Prussia?!

Either way, his miniscule white lie had made his little birdie burrow deeper into the comfort of his collar. Not that he was trying to scare the Austrian, mind. Just a distraction while he figures how to get rid of his painfully noticeable 'light' blush.

And the awkward silence continued.

Until Roderich's head emerged from the crook of his neck, cheeks no longer that awful shade of red, thanks to that damned Prussian's teasing, and asked, "Well... Regarding the music club-"

"Ja, I'll join," Gilbert replied with his playful smirk, the one that always made Roderich wary of whatever ridiculously childish, yet impossible infuriating schemes the Prussian had planned from him. The schemes that were the sole reason why he had Ludwig's number on speed dial.

"Really?" Roderich, almost sarcastically, asked. After all, he had an awful lot of doubt on the Prussian. Which he had every right to be, he's known Gilbert for years, he knew that although he'd never go back on a 'serious' promise, he enjoyed playing all sorts of little (rather one-sided) games on Roderich. Not that he'd actually wanted the Prussian to show up. In fact, it was better that he didn't, well, only enough to by registered as an 'official' club member.

"Awww! Roddy doesn't believe me!" the Prussian teasingly cooed to the adorable little yellow ball of fluff, perched onto his shoulder, nuzzling Gilbird as it chirped a response of some sort.

But Roderich himself was obviously unimpressed and Gilbert knew why. Sure, he never intended to seriously offend the Austrian, but he knew because all the teasing, all the pranks, all the little remarks that really meant little to nothing, Roderich had built (obviously not with his physical strength) a great wall of distrust for him. One that Gil knew what take (metaphorically) forever for him to knock down. But Gil was prepared, because love was that patient, to wait for those bricks to come tumbling down. And compared to the last wall he waited behind, this one was nothing!

Time to don that rarely used serious face and look him straight in the eyes, looking someone straight in the eyes is supposed to tell them you're not lying. "In all seriousness, Roderich, I will gladly join your club, unless you changed your mind and don't wish for me to join."

Well, of course he didn't really want the Prussian to join, he needed him to join, though he did appreciate Gilbert trying to be serious for once. In fact, he was impressed to say the least. He ignored his thoughts and said, "No, Gilbert, I'm pleased that you're joining the Music club. Can you come to Room 7 after school with your guitar?"

Gil grinned. Hey, maybe his little birdie liked him after all! Still, spending time with Roddy was just step one to winning his heart – that's what Francis told him and Franny was never wrong with matters concerning love, though he did wonder why Franny hardly followed his own advice (maybe experts were allowed to skip some steps?) – so Gil had to work on their future romance slowly (like tumbling bricks, remember?) and patiently. And for the sake of Step One, the Prussian replied, "Ja, 'course, Roddy!"

To Gil's surprise, Roderich didn't hmph, he didn't frown, he didn't sigh, he didn't even twitch any one of those neatly-shaped, chocolate brown eyebrows of his! He just smiled, a really cute, causal smile. Like those really classy, prince-like prom date smiles, the ones that crop up in almost every damn cheesy high school romance movie. And if this was an awful high school romance, did that make Gilbert the girl? N-no, that's not right! Gah! Damned trail of thoughts!

Verdammt! His little birdie was walking away! Well, it was – Gil checked the clock on his iPhone – halfway into first period! Screw Maths and all, but Roddy will murder him for making him (indirectly) miss the whole (and come on! With the speed that he walks, it's not just possible, but highly likely) of Period 1 and make him late for the second period, too. Kesese~ The Awesome Him would just have to make it up to Roderich at Music Club!

So this is long overdue. I'm very sorry. I do have a few chapters written up on my laptop, but my ideas went dry after that. I guess I'll upload those and then announce a hiatus. It's been so long since I last worked on this story, I can scarcely remember what I intended it to be. And I wanted to write other things, so sorry guys!